onward & upward !

[s-paceape]

What was the ape's name again? Was it Winston? Winston Overwatch? Eh, that doesn't sound right.

handy links: promo , memes

guidelines under the cut

written by LEA, 30, he/him pronouns. 10+ years of experience. looking to keep this casual : expect slow replies, low activity. i'm pretty relaxed about this hobby, so not too much to go over:

18+. this blog is fully sfw. just not interested in writing with minors.

basic rp etiquette. communicate, respect one another, and we're gold.

i send in multiple options when people reblog memes. you don't have to respond to all, or any. there's never pressure to continue an interaction. drop threads as you see fit. we can always start more

[watchiingover]

An independent, private and selective multimuse blog featuring characters from Blizzard’s 𝐎𝐕𝐄𝐑𝐖𝐀𝐓𝐂𝐇. All muses are multiverse and multiship. Please read guidelines before following. Penned by 𝐀𝐋𝐈𝐂𝐄 / 𝐕𝐄𝐋𝐕𝐄𝐓𝐄𝐄𝐍. — ˚₊‧꒰ა 𓂋 ໒꒱ ‧₊˚

[warwaited]

It's been said that the less you have, the harder you fight for it. It's a pithy statement about human endurance, the drive to survive - the fell spectre of ultimate loss that drives people to acts of incredible bravery or selflessness. There is, however, a footnote to this epithet, and Xue is currently embodying it to the utmost.

She's had difficulty explaining from whence her power flows. There are generalities, the outline of something. She talks about some kind of device, something that they had to "open her up and close her up after" to "give" her. So far, Xue's mainly shown that potential when she's been sparring with other agents. The training bots don't spark it off. Proving herself against another person does. It fills some kind of a need, gives her fuel, lets the engine run a little hotter, a little longer.

Right now, the engine is roaring. She'd taken a hit from the butt of a gun to the side of the head earlier and all it had done was briefly disorient her... and damage her commlink. Thankfully, she hasn't lost contact with Winston. Less thankfully, he's now hearing everything, and the only response to his rapid-fire questions is a raw-throated cackle.

"NOBODY comes into my house and gets away with it- YOU'RE ALL DEAD!" There's that possessive streak Athena had mentioned after her first proper psych evaluation. These Talon fighters are encroaching on what's hers. Xue hadn't liked the idea of sharing food, let alone having a home that until recently she apparently hadn't been sure she'd ever have invaded by faceless, gun-toting goons. This is a defence mechanism.

It has also been said that the best defence is a good offence.

[s-paceape]

The watchpoint has been a home to him for years. It's the only one he has left, really. Winston has seen it in every state of repair, at its most bustling and its most dilapidated, but he has never seen it like this, not to such an extent. The damage is only truly apparent once he leaves the command center; bullet holes in the concrete, glass on every walkway. He tries not to think of the data that must have already been stolen before he'd managed to lock down their systems - a temporary stopgap that won't do them any good if they're unable to push Talon back.

With Sojourn in his ear attempting to coordinate a retreat to the hangar, he's not so sure they're performing very well on that front anymore. More concerningly, Xue does not acknowledge the order to fall back, perhaps because she's presently preoccupied drowning out every other voice on Winston's comm line. He's at once both immensely glad to not be on the receiving end of her threat and immensely worried - to perform well in training is one thing; to face the concentrated might of Talon alone is another.

That's the part that worries him, the alone part, for if she were anywhere near the hangar someone would have called it out. No one has, though, and he cannot shake off the concerning notion that he has never heard Xue sound like this before, not in any of the sparring matches he's observed, no matter how heated they could get.

He'd spent Overwatch's twilight years running missions with Genji and Lena, of all people. He's not unfamiliar with the notion of his teammates pushing themselves beyond their limits - and not inexperienced enough to believe it isn't, at times, necessary. But it never worries him any less, and rather than rallying at the hangar Winston turns in the other direction. He knows this base like the back of his hand, and, more importantly, few people on the team are capable of covering more ground than an eight-foot gorilla with a jetpack.

"Are you— never mind." He gets the feeling this will be a distinctly one-sided line of questioning. "I'm on the way!"

...It can't be that difficult to follow the sound of shouting.

[s-paceape]

@aglobhadh: You've quite the knack for finding the bright side of things, haven't you?

He gets the feeling it's not a compliment, but Winston has been called far worse things than optimistic before. A sideways glance is cast over, waiting for the other shoe to drop, but the observation was seemingly only that: an observation.

"Because there's always a bright side to be found! I get some of my most valuable data from failed experiments - see? There's one thing to be positive about right there."

[antariazo]

Leon has been in the engineering bay for the last-- oh, wow, it's really been a few hours now.

He's at a workbench, his left arm resting on the table, while his right hand holds a narrow-tipped screwdriver of some kind. He offers a small smile to Winston, and upon seeing the generous plate of sandwiches, he's reminded that he hasn't eaten since early this morning.

"No, no, you're alright," he assures him. "I didn't intend to miss dinner, I just... was trying to see if I could do some repairs myself. Maybe save some other folks the time." The admission is awkward, especially with how slow of a time he's had of it. "I think maybe the answer is 'no, not really'... I did it, but... assuming I didn't fuck it up, I think anyone with more than one hand to spare could have done it in less than half the time."

"Feel free to stick around if you want, I just have to put a couple pieces back on."

[s-paceape]

The plate is set aside on the workbench, mostly so he can meander a little closer to get a better look at the work. He's a scientist, not an engineer, though he dabbles in the latter plenty; enough to scrutinize Leon's handiwork.

"You shouldn't worry about that. We're all more than happy to help," or at least he is, but he likes to think the view is shared. "But the time you took doesn't matter - the quality of the work does, and I think you did a fine job! You'll get faster the more you work at it. It used to take me hours just to perform field repairs on my shield generator."

Even then it didn't really do much in the way of shielding, not for a long time. Mostly it exploded. There's a reason he only dabbles in engineering. Making a chronal accelerator or a space shuttle every now and then is all fine and well, but it's always the work of months, and many, many failed prototypes.

"I'd like to stay and observe, if you really don't mind the company. I can be quiet!"

[s-paceape]

@warwaited: "In the middle of a Talon attack" might not be the best time to learn things about the new "recruit", but at the very least the sound of hollering through her commlink sounds gleeful(...?) and not terrified. Unfortunately... "CAN'T DO AAANYTHING TO ME!" ...it's becoming increasingly obvious what Xue meant when she told him that he might find out what's wrong with her "before she tells him".

In Winston's defense, testing the combat capabilities - and limits - of the newer members of the team was on his to-do list. Go figure Talon got the jump on him there, too. But no one was really optimistic enough to believe they'd be safe from a full-scale attack forever. They were prepared for this - and if the brief, organized chatter on the comms is anything to go by, they're doing a fine job of holding down the—

—well, alright, that was... that one sounded a little less collected. In the midst of redecorating the command center - that is to say, dragging unconscious Talon operatives to one corner of the room and desks in front of the doorways, - he pauses, and hauls himself up by the railing to the second story walkway to survey out the shattered window. There's no one on this side of the tunnel; in the hangar a ways beyond, all he can make out is gunfire. He hopes they haven't gotten as far as the barracks. The worry he'd been pushing away creeps back in.

"Xue?" There's nothing more he can do to secure the command center, regardless. He leaps to the pavement below, already in motion. "Do you need backup? Where are you?"

[warwaited]

"Well, sure, but if it's the first time it's ever happened obviously it's gonna have a weird name for a little while." Xue pushes herself to her feet, having been idle too long to be comfortable and starting to pace while the two of them discuss things. Doesn't seem like she quite understands what she was alluding to when she set her parameters for what he was allowed to do within the bounds of a theoretical test...

Funny enough, there might be a slight comparison to draw between her and the big ape. It's not quite a dangling tire, but Xue moves over to the raised edge of the embankment she'd been sitting on previously and starts doing some hop-ups. Only the toes of her shoes touch the concrete, and, while she's not looking at Winston, she's still listening.

"Mmh. Maybe. I dunno if it's possible to fix what I got, but I do know that there's some really smart people here. Like you. Best case scenarios are cool, but..." A few seconds of silence, and an annoyed huff as the little firestarter shakes her head. "Nah. I've spent enough time being all doom and gloom. Yeah, let's assume it's all gonna be good and we don't gotta worry about it, you're right."

Xue drops down from the ledge again and twists back and forth, working some of the tension out of her spine. The motion pauses, though, when Winston alludes to his own personal history.

Her eyes narrow a bit. She tilts her head.

"...yeah. They were. And y'know, maybe a month ago I would've let it end there. I don't like scientists. I only ever knew the one kind, y'know? I don't like guys who think they gotta get their hands into everything to "figure out how stuff works" or "forge new frontiers". People who think that because they can push the limit of what people can do, they gotta." It's audible that she's working herself up, but Xue gets a handle on it and gently pushes that emotion back down.

"Aaand now I know you. So I guess not all scientists are like that."

[s-paceape]

"First and only time, I hope." He'd taken care, in all his reports and research on the Slipstream incident, to withhold any truly significant details and data, lest someone get the bright idea to create another 'Tracer'. He stands by that decision, even if it means that now everything related to the case is stuck with the label he slapped on it way back when. Though all her restless activity makes him antsy just watching it, he only observes the back-and-forth and up-and-down with a thoughtful frown and a sigh.

"If only we had even more heads around to put together. Back in the glory days - that's, uh, Reinhardt's words, not mine - this place was an international hub of scientific innovation! I wish I'd been around to see it," a wistful reflection he's mourned all too often. By the time he landed on Earth, Overwatch was already dwindling down to a shadow of what it once had been. Now a mere handful of them remain to serve in a research capacity. "A team like that could have solved anything. But... but we can probably get close."

His smile does not inspire confidence, per say, but it is sincere. Winston can't aspire for innovation these days. Can't hope to solve any of their problems, only keep them at bay. If he can keep the team they have, small as it is, alive, frankly that's the best he can hope for. It's a bit more grim than the endless acts of effortless heroism he'd imagined when he first signed on, but then that was a long time ago.

"...Close enough that we shouldn't get ahead of ourselves and plan for the worst."

After all, he has no doubt she can handle herself on the field. He has unwavering confidence in all of them, really; and therefore in her ability to know her limits and not disastrously explode, or - ah, see, now he's catastrophizing, too. Fidgeting, he rises to his fists and feet, paces one way and then the other, then forces himself to sit back down. Better to worry on the inside.

"Hm. The... idea of playing god never sat well with me." And that's all he can think to say on the matter, for even his own mentor had been... like that, at first. Good old fashioned human curiosity outweighed the simple moral question of whether his work was hurting someone, even if that someone was only an animal. "Science is only valuable when it's ethical! I wish everyone agreed, but humans aren't very good at agreeing on anything." He casts a brief glance upwards. "I suppose gorillas aren't, either."

[feeling-of-deja-vu]

Lena quite literally jumped for joy, fist pumping in the air. "All right!" She stepped forward as she pulled her phone out of her pocket, beaming as she spoke. "So, we've got a few options- Juno has been tearing through restaurants around town like a woman possessed! Gave me loads of recommendations," Lena paused with a quizzical expression, "Though... I think her palate might be a bit different... Does Mars have salt?" The next five or so minutes was a torrent of descriptions and menus for various local bistros, steak houses, beachfront confectionary shops- and even a McDonalds. Despite the fact that Overwatch had been stationed at the Watchpoint for years now, they'd almost always been too busy to really engage with the local culture. That, mixed with the fact that their status as an international paramilitary organization also got them more and more of a cold reception as their controversies piled up, meant that many Agents had yet to actually set foot outside the base. However, the new blood on the team had no such reservations. Hana and Juno were frequently seen wandering the streets, laughing all the while. Lucio made appearances at nearby clubs, or supporting buskers on the streets, and even their newest recruits, Wuyang and Anran, were often seen on the beaches participating in small sports games during their off time. It... inspired her. "Alright, so... I'm thinking either Nuevo Hermanos Tomilleros, or Mesón La Gaviota. The first one has better vegetarian options, but the second has to-die-for deserts, and a beachfront view." She looked back to her compatriot, "I'm up for whichever, but, once you pick..." Lena slipped her phone back into her pocket and took a step back, scanning Winston up and down, "We've got to talk about your outfit!"

[s-paceape]

He quickly abandons the notion of cleaning up the remaining work at all. This mess will still be here for him to sort through when he returns; the only one liable to get into it is Fika, and, well, she'd manage that no matter where he put it. Smart, that cat. Smart and nosy.

"Has she?" That makes him chuckle, hauling himself away from his workbench to stretch - and wincing, as Athena may have had a point with all her comments about his posture being terrible for his back. "That's wonderful! I'm glad she's getting out of the Watchpoint. If the hydroponics lab on Mars is anything like ours was, I'm sure she's itching for options."

The lunar colony was big on potatoes. Winston still doesn't care for them much, even now.

That Juno and the rest of their recruits had bonded so quickly, and were making the most of a decidedly unconventional tenure with Overwatch, did make him feel a bit better about their circumstances. It would be easy to lose spirit, seeing how small their numbers were and the less-than-warm response they had received from the world at large. Winston had questioned the recall nearly every day since activating it. Seeing such certainty amongst their newest members was heartening.

"A view of the beach sounds nice." As always, he wasn't particularly concerned with what was on the menu. Few places were prepared to accommodate the dietary specifications and portion sizes of a genetically engineered gorilla. It was really more about the experience, he thought. "I've, uh... I think I've got a couple sweaters lying around here, somewhere..?"

The days of press conferences and fancy dinners were years behind them. His list of reasons to make a public appearance without donning his armor had dwindled.

[chaiisms]

BALDURS GATE 3 PARTY BANTER PROMPTS LIST.

all of the following prompts are taken from party banter between the companions in larian studios' baldurs gate 3 (2023). there should be no spoilers! also, a disproportionate amount of these are from astarion and karlach. i'm not sorry.

I am enjoying our walks together, aren't you, [ name ]?

You'll be as depraved as the rest of us in no time.

Friend of yours?

Were you always so sneaky?

If there's hope for me there's hope for anyone.

How are we not there yet? My feet are killing me.

This is what I get for trying to strike up conversation.

We're not going to have trouble, are we?

If we continue this way, we may get too close for comfort.

Don't get too comfortable. We shouldn't overstay our welcome in such a place.

Do you have pet names for each other yet?

[ name ]! Was that a joke?

You know what - that is not the easiest of questions for me to answer.

Given your own nature, are you really the one to judge?

You can read?!

I'm surprised - I expected you to turn your back once you got what you wanted.

I wouldn't know a flirtation if you whacked me alongside the head with it.

Why stay somewhere safe and comfortable when we could be in mortal peril?

Can't say I love what they've done with the place.

I'm learning to enjoy the taste of chaos. Count me in.

At least you didn't tell me to 'be myself'.

You have so much to learn. Repeat after me: honey muffin, sweetie pie, sugarplum.

Nice to be in a crowd of normal people for once.

So [ name ], how is your sad, hopeless pining going?

You seemed a million miles away just then.

I fear I've been rather hasty to judge you, [ name ].

Ready to enter the belly of the beast?

Step one of starting a conversation: think before you speak.

I hear your relationship has taken on a new aspect recently…

All right, just keep it down. We're conspicuous enough without your hyena call.

Not one for roughing it, I see.

Why not have a little fun?

You're right, of course. Forgive me.

My money's on you, [ name ].

The echoes - listen! They're coming from three directions!

Want me to carry you?

Feeling at home?

Treat them right, or you'll have me to answer to.

Oh, darling, would you?

No doubt they found me too intimidating.

A girl could get used to this.

Now I don't know what to believe.

Well - yes, it was a joke.

I know that, too. It just wasn't funny.

And here I thought I rubbed you the wrong way.

Man, it's good to be home. First round on who?

Oh, I wouldn't actually leave. After all, where would you be without me?

You've quite the knack for finding the bright side of things, haven't you?

Well what would impress you, then?

Let's just stop this conversation right here, shall we?

Must've been an awful day for the people who lived here

You've clearly thought this through a great deal. I'm impressed and appalled in equal measure.

Sure, but think of the stories you'll be able to tell.

I never was scared of the shadows.

I know you're not really as heartless as all that.

I judged you wrongly. I'm sorry.

Are you charging for this sage advice, or is sticking your nose into my business just a hobby?

Pragmatism, thy name is [ name ].

That's ironic, coming from you.

We're either very clever or very lucky.

You do not need luck to survive, [ name ]. Not when you have me.

That will make getting word to my mother rather tricky.

Stop gawking at the decor. This place is dangerous.

I can't tell if you're joking.

So, what's it like caring for someone other than yourself, [ name ]?

You think I'm beautiful?

I feel it too. Here if you need a pick-me-up.

Yet another thing we have in common. We're two peas in a pod.

Is it so unbelievable that they would simply like me?

Use your words.

You gonna catch me if I eat a brick?

[ name ], I've heard you talking in your sleep.

Let's never speak of this again.

You can take a day off once in a while, [ name ]

Hey! Something bit me.

Cheer up. It might be all downhill from here.

I love a nice secret hideaway, don't you?

Think the bar is open?

[warwaited]

Xue nods again, correcting herself after his clarification. "Chronically... dissociated. Dissociated... in time." Good! She's got another piece of the puzzle, she just needs to figure out what dissociating is. Fortunately, pondering the mysteries of vocabulary is enough to steer her away from the prospect of being experimented on, and with a small, stabilizing breath, reaches over to pat Winston's knee.

Well... more like smack it. He's a big guy, he needs big gestures of camaraderie. Smack smack.

"Uhm... if you wanted to learn more about it sometime, though, in a not-experimenty way, I could do that. Just- let's do it outside? And I don't want anybody sticking anything onto me." Ground rules are important. When she'd first been brought in, her introduction to Doctor Ziegler had been somewhat more spirited than Winston's - she'd realized that she was in an examination room when a person entered wearing a lab coat, hit some kind of wrestling move on the poor woman, and after a half hour of searching had to be coaxed down from the roof of the radar building.

Since then she hasn't had another incident, but she also hasn't had anything even resembling a checkup. Xue takes her first impressions and runs with them.

"...if I do need help, I'll let you know. I promise." A brief, unhappy silence, and she continues in a slightly more grim tone. "Or, uh... you might find out before I tell you. But I'm gonna try and make sure that doesn't happen. Just- yeah. I don't..."

Xue's eyes rise to meet his, and she makes a bit of a face, trying to put out into the air the thoughts swirling in her head. Her mouth opens, closes, then opens again, breath taken a couple seconds before she finds the words.

"I've never met a scientist like you before. And the ones I have met..."

He doesn't wanna know what happened to 'em.

[s-paceape]

"Not entirely accurate," he confesses with a stilted smile, because the reality is that Lena's condition is something not even Winston fully understands, and not for lack of studying, "but I, uh, needed something to refer to in my reports."

But pondering the great puzzle of non-linear temporality is neither here nor there, and though he at first looks surprised, the smile becomes more genuine at her attempt at solidarity. "Oh, only if you'd like to. Of course I'm curious, but certainly not curious enough to run you through a gauntlet of tests. I try not to stick anything onto anyone unless it's a matter of absolute scientific necessity!" He straightens himself up, only a little offended at the implication otherwise.

Researching live subjects isn't typically on his to-do list. That's more Dr. Ziegler's area - Winston is much more comfortable limiting his expertise, in most cases, to equipment repairs instead. Knowing the ins and outs of every weapon or tool the team uses is much less daunting than keeping up with their medical records.

"And I'd rather that not be the case. If anything does happen, we can fix it," and it's not bravado speaking, but pure conviction, coming from someone who has seen time and time again the medical and scientific miracles made by possible by a team of people who quite sincerely do not believe in impossibilities. "Hopefully it won't ever come to that. I prefer to always plan for the best case scenario!"

...The backup plans for the worst case scenarios are also typically not his job. Sojourn tends to anticipate that sort of thing. He's more of an 'act first, worry about it quietly afterwards' sort of guy. He shakes his head as she goes on.

"You don't have to explain anything to me. The scientists on the lunar base were my friends, but," Winston finds himself in the similar position of not knowing quite what to say, and his brow furrows. He has always felt like it would taint their memory, to remember the bad parts of what they'd done to achieve their goals; surely it was outweighed by the net good of having created him, and the others like him. "But... they were also scientists."

[feeling-of-deja-vu]

Lena immediately begins parsing through the heap of wires, eager to help how ever she can. It wasn't often that she was able to provide Winston much assistance in the lab, given the typical complexity of his projects, but any time the opportunity arose, be it testing new weapons or helping calibrate the on-site turret targeting systems, she was always first in line.

Unfortunately, at the current moment, the small joy she felt was rather quickly chased off by the clear signs of burnout her friend was showing off.

As he continued to list off job after job, a frown settled on the pilots face, a thing altogether unnatural for her features. She blinked once more off the desk and to the scientists side.

"Say, Winston... I know you're busy and all, but... what would you say about a night out? Just the two of us? Its been ages since we've had a date."

She raised an empathetic hand to rest on his shoulder as she offered a warm smile.

'"Come on, big guy. Grab dinner with me?"

[s-paceape]

He can see it out of the corner of his vision, the growing concern radiating off her, which would be touching under most circumstances. But Tracer can be a solution-oriented sort of person— he supposes none of them would be in Overwatch, not after all this time, if they did not possess some innate drive to fix things— which he figures means he's about to get forcibly removed from every project he's currently buried under.

Lo and behold. The look he gives her is distinctly nervous. "Out? As in out? Of here?" He hopes not: the last time he left Gibraltar for any purpose that was not directly related to Overwatch business was... was...

...Hm. Before he'd issued the recall, certainly. Maybe before they were shut down in the first place.

"I don't know, Lena... I've got a lot of work to do, and— and besides, I—" Winston can fumble for an additional excuse all he wants; he knows he'll cave, and he's fairly certain that she knows he'll cave, because whatever worry he feels about leaving behind his work or getting in anyone's way on any sort of outing is outweighed by the fact that it has been ages, and he's missed her.

"...Alright." It takes zero convincing, really, because most of his counterpoints were worn down years ago when he'd first begun to count Lena as a friend. The smile is easily returned. "What'd you have in mind?"

[s-paceape]

🔋🐈🎁

headcanons, volume one

🔋 : how does your muse like to recharge, physically, mentally or spiritually?

My view on Winston is that he's an extrovert who is just hindered by a bunch of other factors, mainly that he's a space gorilla trying to fit into human society. but being around people, actually being around them and exchanging ideas and being treated like any other person, really does inspire him and improve his mood and energy significantly. he gets moody the longer he spends alone, which is a bad combo when he's seriously locked in on a project. he'd love to claim that doing science is in and of itself his ideal way to mentally recharge, but when he gets stuck on a problem it has the opposite effect

🐈 : is your muse conscious of online trends and memes?

I'm going to go with... sort of? he knows that, as a concept, these things exist. but he does not have enough of an online presence to know what is currently trending or what memes even mean half the time. the gold standard of humor for him is really bad puns. He would find some trends incredibly charming, but he's like that one teacher you never want to use memes around or he'll keep using them over the next 5 years even when hes the only one on the planet who still thinks it's funny

🎁 : how does your muse respond when they don't like a gift they've received?

He's never disliked a gift he was given, because the notion of anyone being thoughtful enough to give him a gift makes him overwhelmingly emotional. even the ones he pretends to gripe about (like all the bananas Lena keeps buying for him despite knowing they're his least favorite food) are mostly exaggerated reactions, he really does appreciate when anyone goes out of their way or thinks of him. even if he ever did truly hate something I think it's a secret he would take to his grave, and he would not have the heart to get rid of anything that was gifted to him.

[risingshine]

「 ༀ i imagine it was quite a silent place beforehand. 」

it was hard to gauge if such silence would be comfortable one, or a stifling one-

but the new rhythm of people living together seemed somewhat overwhelming.

「 ༀ - need not worry on my sake; any space you give me is far more than i need. 」

it was not as if he needed to sleep - or be in a room at all for that matter.

[s-paceape]

"Yes, it was just Athena and I for quite some time. But it wasn't all bad! I had plenty of time for projects." Time, and empty space, and that nearly-unnatural silence. But he strives as always to mask his disquiet at the memories with cheer. "Still, I'd much rather have the team back than have room to continue my work."

From a practical perspective, Zenyatta may be right, but Winston balks at the suggestion of not making space for him. The scale and grandeur of their operation may have dwindled down to near-nothingness, but if their standards start slipping, everything else will follow. He's not about to offer him a storage closet, for crying out loud.

"It's no trouble at all! We'll figure something out," he assures him, not that it seems to be needed. "With so many of us here, this place'll be cleaned up and operational in no time. Well, except for, uh— there's some— the security systems aren't quite fully functional, and communications are... spotty. But I'm working on those, too!"

[warwaited]

"Ha ha... okay, c'mon, it wasn't that good." She's still smiling, though, emboldened by the reaction and filing it away for later. If she can come up with any other fun jokes, she'll have to demo them on Winston. His presence is putting her at ease - the somewhat hesitant, self-conscious girl from earlier is nowhere to be found. However...

It's... pretty obvious she has no idea what he's talking about. She's paying attention, there's the gleam of recognition in her eyes when he mentions Lena, but she can't conceptualize a "chronal anchor" and doesn't bother to try. Still - Xue understands that a comparison is being drawn and bobs her head in agreement, intrigued by the idea if largely ignorant to the mechanics.

"Well- yeah, that's, like- yeah. It's a battery! Power goes in, and it's gotta come out, otherwise, uh..."

She realizes she doesn't know what happens if a battery gets too much charge and moves her hands indistinctly. "You know. Bad stuff." He's got further thoughts on the connection between the two of them, but... when he mentions experimentation in the context of her, the shutter comes back down. Xue tenses, and withdraws, sitting back a little.

"That's... uhm. I... don't... it's- you don't need to do that. It's okay. I'm... I can take care of myself. I'm not "crongly dissipated" or anything like that, it's just..."

The little firebrand chews the inside of her cheek.

"It's just tough sometimes. It's... nice. That you want to help."

[s-paceape]

Say what you will about Winston, but he is aware enough to recognize that just because he does know precisely what happens to an overcharged battery doesn't mean someone with, essentially, a near-overcharged battery in them will want to hear all those particular details.

So he simply nods in agreement with her assessment, brow furrowed thoughtfully. "Chronally dissociated," he corrects automatically. "And, yes, otherwise... bad stuff. Finding the optimal balance of energy in and energy out can be difficult, besides. I understand if you have, um. Reservations."

There was a reason he'd never let Dr. Ziegler attempt to correct some of the more glaring flaws in his genetic engineering: the notion of tampering with his very being again, even in pursuit of improvement, had been distressing when he'd first landed.

And, in this case, it sounds like it's... working, at least well enough that the prospect of catastrophic failure does not seem to outweigh her insistence on not needing his help.

"But you should know that the offer is always on the table! Only if you ever change your mind, or— or if you do need help. I don't doubt you've got everything under control, but," he fumbles with his glasses nervously for lack of anything to continue with. "I am a scientist. This is precisely the sort of thing I studied to assist with. Well, uh... that is, not precisely, but energy transference is a specialty of mine. I'll always be happy to help."

[piupius-deactivated20260514]

headcanons, volume one.

a series of randomly assorted headcanon questions for character development. feel free to adjust or expand on any questions when sending.

☕ : how does your muse take their coffee or tea? what does their starbucks order look like?

🌨️ : how does your muse react to snow? do they want to stay huddled up inside where it's warm, or do they want to go out and play in it?

💝 : what is your muse's love language? how do they usually convey it?

⚖️ : does your muse trust their own judgement? what kind of situations would cause them to freeze up with indecision?

🧺 : what life skill was the hardest for your muse to learn once they were out on their own?

🍸 : does your muse drink alcohol? if so, what kind and how often? if not, why?

💪 : describe your muse's body language.

🎨 : what is your muse's favorite art medium to use? what do they do with it?

🔋 : how does your muse like to recharge, physically, mentally or spiritually?

🐉 : if your muse could be any mythical or supernatural being, which do you think they would be and why?

👻 : if your muse could live the life of anyone else for a day, who would they choose? what would they hope to learn about this person?

🩰 : does your muse know how to dance? do they learn routines, or do they improvise? what styles of dance do they prefer?

💎 : if you could describe your muse as any gemstone or mineral, which would they be and why?

🧨 : does your muse have attention seeking tendencies? how far are they willing to go to get it?

⚽ : does your muse have any favorite sports? do they play any sports, or do they just spectate?

🐈 : is your muse conscious of online trends and memes?

🥀 : describe a time in your muse's life where they were dishonest, either with themselves, or others.

💸 : what is the most valuable thing your muse has ever broken?

💍 : does your muse carry any good luck charms or other memorable trinkets? what makes this item significant to them?

🤝 : what does loyalty mean to your muse?

🏹 : does your muse know how to use any weapons? which ones? what is the most unconventional item that your muse has ever armed themselves with?

🫗 : what would it take for your muse to lose their appetite?

🎁 : how does your muse respond when they don't like a gift they've received?

🌌 : would your muse rather explore outer space or the deep sea? why? would they be afraid of either or both of these places for any reason?

🎥 : does your muse know any movies or books by heart? which ones? why do they like them so much?

[feeling-of-deja-vu]

Lena lets out a small giggle as she suddenly appears in a flash of light, taking up a spot sitting next to Winston on a spare stool. "I know that, big guy- But can you really blame a girl for getting fluttery when her 'pacemaker' is in the shop?" She blinked again, now sitting cross legged on his desk, staring over the mess of wires, and leaned forward, chin supported in both of her hands as she spoke. "What are we workin on anyway? Communication upgrades for Athena? A new targeting system for Echo? Oh! Wait! Are you finally getting to those heated seats in the Orca I asked for? I know Sojo said they weren't in the budget, but-"

[s-paceape]

By the time he lifts his head to track her she has already moved, which is about what he expected, and he hands her a heaping handful of tangled wires when she reappears atop the desk beside him. So long as she's here he may as well give her something to keep busy with.

"Of course not," Winston concedes, for even just the thought of having such an essential piece of life support tampered with would be too much for anyone else in her position to stomach. He's astounded every day by her faith in his knowledge. "Luckily there's nothing in your future but routine maintenance. We, uh... we haven't got the budget for more extensive improvements... or those heated seats. Sorry. Or Athena's firewalls, which really need an upgrade," more than even her communications, which aren't entirely up to the speed he'd like, now that they have so many agents, and—

He's giving himself a headache. He leans back and removes his glasses, rubbing at his eyes, keenly feeling the fact that he's been hunched over the desk for hours by now.

"I'm... not sure what is in the budget anymore. But there's a lot of equipment around here that I'm positive I could get running again, with the right parts, and I've got plenty of spares," as evidenced by all the boxes he's yet to dig through, occupying most of the other desks throughout the room. "I thought I'd start with the security gates. They only need a little rewiring. Or maybe I should be focusing on the satellites..."

[warwaited]

Despite herself, the little lady snorts when Winston offers up a couple counterpoints. She doesn't really get the glass-half-full thing... it's half a glass, however you look at it doesn't matter. But the first one? "...yeah. Okay. Will, way. Well. I got plenty of will, just gotta make sure I use it so other people won't. Eh? Eh?"

Okay, wordplay is a step up from portents of doom. Xue grins back, either unaware or uncaring that the giant ape in front of her could probably crumple her into a ball if he really felt like it.

"But- uh, yeah, you kinda hit it on the head. Like, I always gotta be doing stuff or I start getting too charged up, but sometimes when I am doing stuff I get charged up anyway. And when I'm using it, it's..."

She trails off. Grimaces.

"It's like it wants to get used more. Like... the stuff going out is just getting replaced by more stuff coming in."

[s-paceape]

Will, won't— "...hey, that's a good one!" The way he guffaws you'd think he's never heard anything half as clever in his life. When the vast majority of his humor is met with eye-rolls, albeit some fond ones, he's just glad someone is willing to engage in the repartee.

"The, um..." Winston hesitates, adjusting his glasses, the manufactured pause of someone who knows altogether too much about the subject and has to refrain from, well, rambling. "Lena's— uh, Tracer, my first prototype for the chronal anchor— I encountered a similar problem. The localized time travel she utilizes now is... hm, I like how you put it. She's got to be doing stuff, or the chronal energy her molecules generates is too much for the device to properly stabilize."

He never did find a way to stop it altogether. At this point, he's not sure she would want him to, given nearly all of her tactics in the field revolve around running the accelerator dry every three seconds or so.

"It took some adjustments. A lot of them, actually," a nervous laugh. "It's far from the perfect solution I'd hoped for, but— I know chronal instability is a somewhat unique use case, but if I could reverse engineer that, then with a little time and some experimentation maybe the two of us can figure out an improved system to suit your needs. If you'd like. I just can't promise anything more than my best efforts."